Free Egypt's TikTok women

Free Egypt's TikTok women

Started
4 August 2020
Petition to
Egyptian state authorities and 1 other
Signatures: 265,186Next Goal: 300,000
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by TikTok Women

EN/AR/FR/DE/ITA/ID

Egyptian authorities have arrested nine women on charges of violating family values, inciting immorality and debauchery - simply for posting videos on TikTok of themselves singing and dancing. So far three of them have been sentenced to 2-3 years imprisonment. The women have done nothing wrong and must be freed immediately.

We are a group of Egyptian women calling on state authorities to stop this crackdown on women on social media. We are also calling for the National Council of Women to provide legal support for all the nine who have been arrested. International support can make a real difference.

One of the women was arrested after posting a video calling for help and justice after she was raped, filmed, and blackmailed with the rape footage by a group of friends. The Public Prosecution instantly charged her with inciting immorality and debauchery.

Some of these women are social media stars with millions of followers. In their videos they are just laughing, dancing and enjoying themselves. Now they are being punished, and denied their right to own their bodies; to dress freely, and to express themselves.

The TikTok women are ordinary working or middle-class women. Because of the way they dress and express themselves, they are deemed to be behaving outside of what is permitted by their class and outside of 'Egyptian family values'. The State is using them as an example to tell other women that you will be punished too if you do the same. 

Can you imagine being imprisoned just for posting a video of yourself laughing or dancing?

Their names are Haneen Hossam, Mawada El-Adham, Menna AbdelAziz, Sherry Hanem, Nora Hesham, Manar Samy, Reenad Emad, Hadeer Hady, and Bassant Mohamed. They need your help.

There is an appeal scheduled for August 17, please help us. Sign our petition to put as much pressure on the Government as possible so that we can get them free, and so we can keep you updated. Thank you so much for your support.

Support now
Signatures: 265,186Next Goal: 300,000
Support now
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Decision-Makers

  • Egyptian state authorities
  • Egyptian National Council for Women